16. Back At Home

A few days had passed since their encounter with the monstrous hybrid that seemed to possess the same dark powers as Hailee had. The city they had stayed in was ruined and run down. Trevor knew this was a city that he destroyed in his rage from the battle. The winds had tore the buildings apart and turned this once prosperous town into a ghost town. Snow had wounds that needed treating and the weather was getting worse. They had also lost a friend that was close to them in the battle, Heather. Trevor knew he was the reason winter was coming sooner then planned.

They needed to get to their planned camp before the first snowfall or else they would be stuck. He remembered the summer lasted a year and the fall only half a year when it should have lasted a full.

The whole situation irritated him, if Hailee would have never went to Gabriel she would be safe with him. Though he loved her, she never listened to him. It made him furious.

"We are setting up camp for the night, Trevor," Jacob said to him. Trevor nodded absently and helped him pitch tents.

"How is Snow?" He asked Jacob.

"Better, the cut to Snow's neck is healing well and she should wake soon," He told Trevor.

"Good we need to be at our full strength if we are to fight Gabriel, especially if we are down one," Trevor responded.

Zander walked out of a tent that Luke and Snow were in, he had a look of stress and exhaust on his face. Everyone seemed to be on edge tonight and the tension was high. Luke followed out of the tent after Zander, wiping sweat off his forehead. He had been working to heal Snow all day. Jacob's two kids were playing at the edge of the woods, the only ones who seemed cheerful through all this. The hope of finding Hailee was dwindling, the fact of seven people fighting whatever cult Gabriel had gathered was almost insane to do.

The sun was setting and earlier then usual and a cold wind sent a chill down Trevor's spine. It would probably snow he guessed. Everyone started to turn in for the night and Zander brought in wood for a fire. The made sure when they made the tent they had a hole in the top for the smoke to escape out of.

"Jacob, it's getting cold, whats happening to the warm nights?" Isaac spoke up while they all sat around the fire.

"It's called winter, Isaac, you were too young to remember the last winter since the summer was exceptionally long this time," Jacob told him. Zander was wrapping Snow in extra blankets to keep her warm and sat next to her. Almost like he was guarding her.

"Well she isn't here so stop complaining," Trevor snapped at the child. She gasped and her eyes got wide.

"Trevor, calm down. She is only a kid she is just stating her mind," Zander spoke up.

"She is right, what are we even doing here?" Issac said, sticking up for his sister, "I mean I know we are looking for Hailee but how do we know she even wants to be saved?" He asked.

The question hung there.

"The boy has a good point," Luke stated, "I am doing this because Hailee saved my life so I owe her this much,"

"We have to. She's my bond, I have to," Trevor repeated.

"Well, what if it's too late? What if Gabriel and his cult has already gotten to her?" Isaac asked.

"Don't even dare to say that," Trevor growled. His hairs stood on end. He cringed at the thought of someone even laying a finger on his bond. But that wasn't the reason his senses were going off; someone was outside their tent. Zander could feel it too.

"Show yourself," Trevor shouted to the figure outside. There was a rustling noise and Trevor saw her face, a face he thought was gone forever.